Can I get some Feedback on my Expected build?

[HellFireAE]

I was wondering if anyone could provide me with some c&c on a build that I (really) want; also it's a fairly cheaper build. I wouldn't say budget 'cause I do have the money, I just take shortcuts that are logical and possible to do.

I went into this build with the thought of gaming/streaming native 720p games. Which means I'd be using a 720p monitor. I also wanted the comparability of using a dual-monitor setup as well. My main monitor would be 1080p.

I don't use a lot of storage, therefore I can buy more storage when needed. I decided to take a logistical decision and pick a hybrid drive.

Everything else is mainly what's needed to get the most out of this system. Oh and if you can't tell, the color combonation I went with was blue and black.

Link to the PC parts for this build: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/23Hoo

Thanks

[AlwaysFSX]

Go with a 4670k instead of the 4770k because even with streaming you won't see a terrible difference. I'd personally lose all the extra fans because they'll cause more noise than benefiting airflow, and the stock fans with the H100i do the job just fine. And with the ~$200 saved there I'd go with a 280x because it's so much more powerful than the 270x and you really will enjoy it more. Possibly a regular barracuda 1 TB drive too instead of the Hybrid since the hybrid doesn't help much unless it's small files that get opened constantly.

 

Just my two cents.

[EChondo]

I went into this build with the thought of gaming/streaming native 720p games. Which means I'd be using a 720p monitor. I also wanted the comparability of using a dual-monitor setup as well. My main monitor would be 1080p.

Uh, you don't have to have a 720p monitor to stream in 720p. You can game at 1080p and have it downscaled and streamed at 720p with no issues.

 

Personally, I think you're better off getting a small SSD boot drive(64GB) and then having a 1TB-2TB regular hard drive.

 

Go with a 4670k instead of the 4770k because even with streaming you won't see a terrible difference. I'd personally lose all the extra fans because they'll cause more noise than benefiting airflow, and the stock fans with the H100i do the job just fine. And with the ~$200 saved there I'd go with a 280x because it's so much more powerful than the 270x and you really will enjoy it more. Possibly a regular barracuda 1 TB drive too instead of the Hybrid since the hybrid doesn't help much unless it's small files that get opened constantly.

You will notice the difference between a 4670k and a 4770k streaming, especially with games like BF4(which is what I'm guessing the OP will be streaming).

[xrex64]

It looks great to me. IMO you could level out the cpu and gpu performances by getting a little bit less priced cpu and a better gpu. Everyone's basically said that but more specific. 

[AlwaysFSX]

Uh, you don't have to have a 720p monitor to stream in 720p. You can game at 1080p and have it downscaled and streamed at 720p with no issues.

 

Personally, I think you're better off getting a small SSD boot drive(64GB) and then having a 1TB-2TB regular hard drive.

About the streaming too, just use Open Broadcaster and have it downscale from 1080p to 720p

[EChondo]

-snip-

Subjective. I personally don't like Windows 8, but OP wants to use it, then I have no say there.

 

Do you have any contribution to this thread, or are you going to post memes all day?

[xrex64]

Subjective. I personally don't like Windows 8, but OP wants to use it, then I have no say there.

 

Do you have any contribution to this thread, or are you going to post memes all day?

lol I don't see any memes...

[nsyedhasan]

You may want to check out the FX 8350 because if is good for the price and useful for streaming. Also you don't need that many fans. With the saved money go with the R9 290 when the aftermarket cooler comes out. Get a smaller boot SSD and a larger HDD. I would say get a single 1080p and a used secondary screen.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU:  AMD FX-8320 3.5GHz 8-Core Processor  ($158.98 @ SuperBiiz)
CPU Cooler:  Noctua NH-D14 65.0 CFM CPU Cooler  ($77.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Motherboard:  Asus M5A99FX PRO R2.0 ATX AM3+ Motherboard  ($124.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory:  Kingston Black Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory  ($49.98 @ PCM)
Storage:  Samsung 840 EVO 120GB 2.5" Solid State Disk  ($114.00 @ B&H)
Storage:  Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($59.98 @ OutletPC)
Video Card:  Gigabyte Radeon R9 290 4GB Video Card  ($405.91 @ Newegg)
Case:  Fractal Design Define R4 w/Window (Black Pearl) ATX Mid Tower Case  ($117.98 @ Newegg)
Power Supply:  Corsair RM 750W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($129.99 @ Amazon)
Operating System:  Microsoft Windows 8.1 - OEM (32-bit)  ($99.98 @ OutletPC)
Monitor:  Asus VS239H-P 23.0" Monitor  ($152.00 @ Newegg)
Total: $1490.77
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-11-17 15:11 EST-0500)

[HellFireAE]

About the streaming too, just use Open Broadcaster and have it downscale from 1080p to 720p

I'd like to stick to 720p full screen gaming since that will be more smooth.

[HellFireAE]

Go with a 4670k instead of the 4770k because even with streaming you won't see a terrible difference. I'd personally lose all the extra fans because they'll cause more noise than benefiting airflow, and the stock fans with the H100i do the job just fine. And with the ~$200 saved there I'd go with a 280x because it's so much more powerful than the 270x and you really will enjoy it more. Possibly a regular barracuda 1 TB drive too instead of the Hybrid since the hybrid doesn't help much unless it's small files that get opened constantly.

 

Just my two cents.

 

You may want to check out the FX 8350 because if is good for the price and useful for streaming. Also you don't need that many fans. With the saved money go with the R9 290 when the aftermarket cooler comes out. Get a smaller boot SSD and a larger HDD. I would say get a single 1080p and a used secondary screen.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU:  AMD FX-8320 3.5GHz 8-Core Processor  ($158.98 @ SuperBiiz)

CPU Cooler:  Noctua NH-D14 65.0 CFM CPU Cooler  ($77.98 @ SuperBiiz)

Motherboard:  Asus M5A99FX PRO R2.0 ATX AM3+ Motherboard  ($124.98 @ SuperBiiz)

Memory:  Kingston Black Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory  ($49.98 @ PCM)

Storage:  Samsung 840 EVO 120GB 2.5" Solid State Disk  ($114.00 @ B&H)

Storage:  Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($59.98 @ OutletPC)

Video Card:  Gigabyte Radeon R9 290 4GB Video Card  ($405.91 @ Newegg)

Case:  Fractal Design Define R4 w/Window (Black Pearl) ATX Mid Tower Case  ($117.98 @ Newegg)

Power Supply:  Corsair RM 750W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($129.99 @ Amazon)

Operating System:  Microsoft Windows 8.1 - OEM (32-bit)  ($99.98 @ OutletPC)

Monitor:  Asus VS239H-P 23.0" Monitor  ($152.00 @ Newegg)

Total: $1490.77

(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)

(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-11-17 15:11 EST-0500)

The fans that I got are to replace all the stock ones with the colored ring ones. The only addition I'll be doing is adding a 140mm intake fan to the front of the case.

[HellFireAE]

About the streaming too, just use Open Broadcaster and have it downscale from 1080p to 720p

I know this is possible, I'd just like a more "butter-smooth" experience when streaming at the same time.

[nsyedhasan]

 

The fans that I got are to replace all the stock ones with the colored ring ones. The only addition I'll be doing is adding a 140mm intake fan to the front of the case.

The fans are a bit overkill just get some regular fans. Like these http://us.ncix.com/products/?sku=81840&vpn=CFT12SB4&manufacture=Cougar they are also available in orange.

[AlwaysFSX]

You will notice the difference between a 4670k and a 4770k streaming, especially with games like BF4(which is what I'm guessing the OP will be streaming).

I haven't actually seen much performance differences between the two streaming on most games, but I'm sure the 4770k would help. Hell, the OP can just go with an 8350 and have no problem with that what so ever too.

[HellFireAE]

I refined the build further to have a Seagate Barracuda 1TB HDD; I don't wanna go for a SSD just yet. I also got rid of the extra fans so there's only one 140mm. Lastly, I upgraded the GPU to R9 280x. Looking like a great system. Would like the monitors to be a bit better looking though, but for the price they'll do. Would it be possible to add a custom stand to the monitors to make them look a bit better?

[Chevaishr]

I'd like to stick to 720p full screen gaming since that will be more smooth.

with the 290 or even the 280x things WILL be buttery smooth. how ever with streaming i'm not sure. that depends mostly on cpu and software optimization. i believe the 8350 does good with streaming since it has so many extra cores just there for the streaming application.    \

 

ok so i've done some changes to the previous 8350 build ... i've also included a wired network card (just because you would be streaming.) it cost a bit less and should outperform the 280x anyday. i've included the h80i as a starter for water cooling so that later on you can buy an extra rad and a water block for the 290 and expand the h80i.

 

    PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

 

CPU:  AMD FX-8320 3.5GHz 8-Core Processor  ($158.98 @ SuperBiiz) 

CPU Cooler:  Corsair H80i 77.0 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler  ($89.99 @ Newegg) 

Motherboard:  Asus M5A99FX PRO R2.0 ATX AM3+ Motherboard  ($124.98 @ SuperBiiz) 

Memory:  Kingston Black Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory  ($49.98 @ PCM) 

Storage:  Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($59.98 @ OutletPC) 

Video Card:  Gigabyte Radeon R9 290 4GB Video Card  ($405.91 @ Newegg) 

Wired Network Adapter:  Asus NX1101 10/100/1000 Mbps PCI Network Adapter  ($15.99 @ Mwave) 

Case:  Xigmatek ASGARD PRO (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case  ($52.98 @ Newegg) 

Power Supply:  Corsair RM 750W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($129.99 @ Amazon) 

Optical Drive:  Asus DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS DVD/CD Writer  ($18.98 @ OutletPC) 

Operating System:  Microsoft Windows 8.1 - OEM (32-bit)  ($99.98 @ OutletPC) 

Monitor:  Asus VS239H-P 23.0" Monitor  ($152.00 @ Newegg) 

Monitor:  Dell E1914H 18.5" Monitor  ($107.58 @ Newegg) 

Total: $1466.33

(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)

(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-11-17 19:10 EST-0500)

 

oh the dell monitor is there for the 720p gaming ... with respect to making them look better i'm not sure if the support vesa mounts but you can use that and mount them to a piece of aluminum 

[HellFireAE]

 

with the 290 or even the 280x things WILL be buttery smooth. how ever with streaming i'm not sure. that depends mostly on cpu and software optimization. i believe the 8350 does good with streaming since it has so many extra cores just there for the streaming application.    \

 

ok so i've done some changes to the previous 8350 build ... i've also included a wired network card (just because you would be streaming.) it cost a bit less and should outperform the 280x anyday. i've included the h80i as a starter for water cooling so that later on you can buy an extra rad and a water block for the 290 and expand the h80i.

 

    PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

 

CPU:  AMD FX-8320 3.5GHz 8-Core Processor  ($158.98 @ SuperBiiz) 

CPU Cooler:  Corsair H80i 77.0 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler  ($89.99 @ Newegg) 

Motherboard:  Asus M5A99FX PRO R2.0 ATX AM3+ Motherboard  ($124.98 @ SuperBiiz) 

Memory:  Kingston Black Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory  ($49.98 @ PCM) 

Storage:  Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($59.98 @ OutletPC) 

Video Card:  Gigabyte Radeon R9 290 4GB Video Card  ($405.91 @ Newegg) 

Wired Network Adapter:  Asus NX1101 10/100/1000 Mbps PCI Network Adapter  ($15.99 @ Mwave) 

Case:  Xigmatek ASGARD PRO (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case  ($52.98 @ Newegg) 

Power Supply:  Corsair RM 750W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($129.99 @ Amazon) 

Optical Drive:  Asus DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS DVD/CD Writer  ($18.98 @ OutletPC) 

Operating System:  Microsoft Windows 8.1 - OEM (32-bit)  ($99.98 @ OutletPC) 

Monitor:  Asus VS239H-P 23.0" Monitor  ($152.00 @ Newegg) 

Monitor:  Dell E1914H 18.5" Monitor  ($107.58 @ Newegg) 

Total: $1466.33

(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)

(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-11-17 19:10 EST-0500)

 

 

I'm pretty solid on the case and CPU architecture that I'm going with. Anything else can vary honestly. Sorry to just dismiss the time you spend trying to help me, but if you could help me expand what I have with the Crosair 350D and the Intel architecture, that would be great.

[Chevaishr]

I'm pretty solid on the case and CPU architecture that I'm going with. Anything else can vary honestly. Sorry to just dismiss the time you spend trying to help me, but if you could help me expand what I have with the Crosair 350D and the Intel architecture, that would be great.

very well then though i would need a limit on your budget ... i'm assuming 1600 

[Kamil]

You can play at 720p on a 1080p monitor, and it will still look better than gaming at 720p on a 720p monitor.

 

If you're going to do a LOT of streaming it might be worth getting an NVidia GPU rather than AMD, Shadowplay's at least in beta now and I've heard great things about its performance. That should free up enough horsepower that you don't need to worry about streaming making 1080p not run smoothly. Which one to choose is a bit difficult, I would recommend the 780 if you can free up enough cash from what other people have suggested (dropping the CPU a bit specifically) and getting rid of the second monitor, but a 760 or 770 should be fine at 1080p.

 

I also (like everyone else) don't see the point in all the extra fans. The ones included in Corsair's cases are pretty much exactly the same as the ones you're buying other than the aesthetic options, so you could easily save a bit of money there. Up to you.

 

My personal recommendation would be to grab 16 GB of RAM if you can, though not for any particular reason. 8 has been fine for me, but I don't know how much streaming or (if you plan to upload to YouTube as well) video editing would change that. Still, I hear that RAM is pretty expensive right now so it might be better to wait.

[Chevaishr]

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

 

CPU:  Intel Core i7-4770K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($329.98 @ OutletPC) 

CPU Cooler:  Corsair H100i 77.0 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler  ($99.99 @ TigerDirect) 

Motherboard:  MSI Z87M-G43 Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard  ($101.24 @ Amazon) 

Memory:  Kingston Black Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory  ($49.98 @ PCM) 

Storage:  Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($59.94 @ Amazon) 

Video Card:  Sapphire Radeon R9 290 4GB Video Card  ($406.13 @ Newegg) 

Case:  Corsair 350D Window MicroATX Mid Tower Case  ($79.99 @ Microcenter) 

Power Supply:  Corsair CX 500W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($49.99 @ Microcenter) 

Optical Drive:  Lite-On iHAS124-04 DVD/CD Writer  ($14.99 @ Newegg) 

Operating System:  Microsoft Windows 8.1 - OEM (64-bit)  ($97.98 @ OutletPC) 

Monitor:  Asus VS238H-P 23.0" Monitor  ($134.99 @ NCIX US) 

Monitor:  Asus VS197T-P 18.5" Monitor  ($93.45 @ B&H) 

Total: $1518.65

(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)

(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-11-17 19:51 EST-0500)

[HellFireAE]

very well then though i would need a limit on your budget ... i'm assuming 1600 

 

I can be flexible if need be.

[HellFireAE]

 

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

 

CPU:  Intel Core i7-4770K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($329.98 @ OutletPC) 

CPU Cooler:  Corsair H100i 77.0 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler  ($99.99 @ TigerDirect) 

Motherboard:  MSI Z87M-G43 Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard  ($101.24 @ Amazon) 

Memory:  Kingston Black Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory  ($49.98 @ PCM) 

Storage:  Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($59.94 @ Amazon) 

Video Card:  Sapphire Radeon R9 290 4GB Video Card  ($406.13 @ Newegg) 

Case:  Corsair 350D Window MicroATX Mid Tower Case  ($79.99 @ Microcenter) 

Power Supply:  Corsair CX 500W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($49.99 @ Microcenter) 

Optical Drive:  Lite-On iHAS124-04 DVD/CD Writer  ($14.99 @ Newegg) 

Operating System:  Microsoft Windows 8.1 - OEM (64-bit)  ($97.98 @ OutletPC) 

Monitor:  Asus VS238H-P 23.0" Monitor  ($134.99 @ NCIX US) 

Monitor:  Asus VS197T-P 18.5" Monitor  ($93.45 @ B&H) 

Total: $1518.65

(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)

(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-11-17 19:51 EST-0500)

 

 

What would the difference be in getting rid of the 140mm front intake fan and having cheaper RAM other than it's less expensive?

 

I understand that since I have a liquid cooled processor and a 80%-90% exhaust GPU that the need for air flow has to be moderate. Would a RAM fan be overkill?

Edited November 18, 2013 by HellFireAE

[HellFireAE]

I decided against buying the latest AMD GPU (R9 290) due to the fact that it's just a reference card right now and I do not need that kind of performance for what I'm putting it through. So I went back to getting a R9 270x.

 

For those who are curious, here's the latest build sheet:

CPU:  Intel Core i7-4770K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($309.99 @ Amazon) 

CPU Cooler:  Corsair H100i 77.0 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler  ($99.99 @ TigerDirect) 

Motherboard:  MSI Z87M-G43 Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard  ($101.24 @ Amazon) 

Memory:  Corsair Vengeance Pro 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory  ($92.04 @ NCIX US) 

Storage:  Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($59.94 @ Amazon) 

Video Card:  Asus Radeon R9 270X 2GB Video Card  ($209.99 @ Amazon) 

Wireless Network Adapter:  TP-Link TL-WDN4800 802.11a/b/g/n PCI-Express x1 Wi-Fi Adapter  ($39.99 @ Microcenter) 

Case:  Corsair 350D Window MicroATX Mid Tower Case  ($79.99 @ Microcenter) 

Power Supply:  Corsair CX 500W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($49.99 @ Microcenter) 

Optical Drive:  Lite-On iHAS124-04 DVD/CD Writer  ($14.99 @ Newegg) 

Operating System:  Microsoft Windows 8.1 - OEM (64-bit)  ($97.98 @ OutletPC) 

Monitor:  Asus VS238H-P 23.0" Monitor  ($134.99 @ NCIX US) 

Monitor:  Asus VS197T-P 18.5" Monitor  ($93.45 @ B&H) 

Total: $1384.57

 

I'm a little hesitant with the monitors. They don't have the best design.